ECON 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Demand Curve, Inverse Relation, Opportunity Cost

32 views2 pages

lemonkoala907

2 Feb 2017

School

Department

Course

Professor

For unlimited access to Class Notes, a Class+ subscription is required.

Document Summary

Market participants: market participants are trying to obtain the max return from the scare resources they have. Max the utility they can get from available incomes. Max profits by selling goods that satisfy while keeping costs low. Specialization and trade: we should specialize and produce what we can at a lower opportunity cost than others. We can"t do everything to get what we want do to our talents and time: produce more than we need for ourselves and trade the excess for the goods we want to consume. Circular flow: two markets (factor and product) and four participants(consumers, business, governments, and international participants) Locating markets: a market exists whenever an exchange takes place, every market transaction involves an exchange of dollars for goods and services/resources. Ability and willingness to sell specific quantities of a good at alternative prices in a given time period: demand.

Related Questions

Market Analysis Market Participants Market participants act as if they are rational, self-interested, and forward-looking. For example, financial managers try to maximize the present value of profits for their particular companies, rather than ignore future values. Companies pursue many goals, but it is a financial mistake for managers to pursue any goal that conflicts with the primary goal of maximizing their firm's profits. Decentralized decision making by individual market participants is more economically efficient that centralized decision making by government policymakers. For example, it is more economically efficient to have financial managers obtain financing for their particular companies than to have government obtain it. A high degree of competition among market participants is the most economically efficient disciplining mechanism. For example, highly competitive financial markets discipline financial managers to pay fair market interest rates on the debt securities issued by their particular companies. The market system of prices is the most economically efficient allocative mechanism. For example, it is more economically efficient to distribute a firm's corporate stock to those buyers who are willing and able to pay the market price of the stock than to have the government distribute the stock. It is economically efficient for market participants to buy low and sell high globally. For example, it is economically efficient for U.S. firms to sell their financial securities to the highest bidders, no matter where they live in the world economy. Market imperfections can create considerable risk to market participants. For example, because of market imperfections, firms operating in the international financial markets encounter foreign exchange rate risk, political risk, interest rate risk, and default risk. Consumer Sovereignty The principle of consumer sovereignty tells us that by making their dollar votes, consumers indirectly determine the quantity and quality of products that firms will produce. For example, it is not economically efficient for financial managers to obtain more financing for their particular firms than is needed for their firms to produce the profit-maximizing level of output demanded by consumers. Market Economy A highly competitive market economy is largely self-regulating, in the absence of substantial market imperfections, in that economic conditions cannot be substantially improved by government regulation or other types of government intervention beyond laissez-faire policies. For example, if a firm's corporate stock is overvalued by a market economy, market forces will tend to drive down the value of the stock to a market price at which it is neither overvalued nor undervalued. As if by an invisible hand, highly competitive market forces will tend to create a harmony of interests among individual market participants, in the absence of substantial market imperfections. Consequently, the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders are compatible. For example, in trying to maximize profits, firms produce employment, income, consumer products, and wealth for households, as well as tax revenue for government, which helps maximize consumer utility and maximize social welfare. In a market economy, resources, products, and assets flow to their highest valued uses among alternative uses. For example, the shares of firms' corporate stocks will be acquired by those market participants who most highly value them, as indicated by the fact that they are willing to pay the most to acquire them. The efficient economic role of government is limited to Laissez-Faire ("hands off") policies, which create very little intervention in a market economy. For example, government regulations of banking and securities industries to maintain healthy, reasonably profitable, consumer-oriented financial markets would not be needed in a highly competitive market economy in the absence of substantial market imperfections. In a market economy, it is economically efficient for each market participant to specialize according to comparative advantage in producing what they can produce relatively better than other market participants, rather than produce all the outputs they can produce absolutely better than others. For example, it is economically efficient for people who are relatively better at being financial managers than others, to specialize in financial management even if they are absolutely better than others in doing many other types of work. If all labor were allocated to its comparative advantage, then no possible reallocation of labor would exist that could increase the rate of return to labor (i.e., the wage). There is no such thing as a free lunch, because all resources, products, and assets in a market economy are scarce. For example, current federal government budget deficits are not free to current market participants in that the deficits must be financed by future tax increases and/or future decreases in government spending and/or future inflation. For additional information on the Market Economy click here. Marks, R. E. (2006, December). There Is No Such Thing As Free Lunch. Australian Journal of Management. 31(2). 1-7. Financial Decisions An efficient financial decision, practice, transaction, or condition is one that is optimal -- meaning best; it cannot be improved, from society's perspective. If there is some profitable way to improve some business practice that would benefit society, that practice is somewhat inefficient. Any change in a financial decision, practice, transaction, or condition that improves society is an efficiency improvement. For example, it is an efficiency improvement for a business to cut production costs by reducing waste (e.g., by reducing spending on unprofitable activity. A financial decision, practice, transaction, or condition is fair-- meaning just or equitable, if the financial benefits are distributed to those involved in proportion to how much they each voluntarily contributed to produce those benefits. For example, a financial practice that discriminates against some people on the basis of race, age, gender, nationality, or religion is unfair. For example, an unethical business practice is unfair. For additional information relating to Market Analysis and fair financial decisions, click on the following: Teaching Ethical Economic Practices to Business Managers. Johnston, C. (2009, October). The Proceedings of the Annual Conference of The International Academy of Business and Economics. Fairness is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition, for efficiency. All efficient financial practices are fair, but some fair practices may still fail to be efficient. For example, embezzling company funds is an unfair and inefficient, criminal financial activity. As another example, an ethical business practice that could be improved is fair but not efficient. Opportunity Cost Principle Opportunity cost principle: The efficient measure of the cost of any allocation of resources, products, money income, wealth, or time is its opportunity cost -- the value of the next best use. The opportunity cost of how one uses his or her resources is the value of the highest valued alternative use. The opportunity cost of one investment is the expected return on the next best investment available to the firm. For example, the opportunity cost of a firm using some of its profits to pay dividends to its stockholders would be the present value of future income those profits could have earned if invested in the firm's highest valued investment project.

Discussion Questions These questions stem from the Class Discussion Questions you will be anwering in the Discussion Board. Think about the questions and how they relate to the financial management principles above.

2. Applications: State the financial management principle that appears to be violated in each of the following cases and explain how it is violated:

(a) A corporation is maximizing sales growth and the price of its corporate stock is falling.

(b) A highly paid financial manager in the auto industry quit his job to set up his own small auto repair shop, which is expected to incur a loss for the first three years then earn normal profits.

Need help revising, and recommendation for a conclusion.

Throughout this paper is my understanding of what I have learned in class chapters 1-4, expressing my understanding and opinions. Economics is the study of how we deal with scarce resources. Microeconomics specially deals with business in the home country exclusively. This type of economics affects small businesses in the home country only. On the other hand, macroeconomics concerns our national welfare concerning trade and international business.

I believe that many things affect our economy on a microeconomics level. Things such as our understanding of our country in reflection to the world are very important. That is why we study ourselves before we study the macroeconomic principle of the world. Understanding ourselves is what microeconomics teaches us. Working from the inside out. The world is a place where there are differences in our wants and what we get. That is what makes items scarce. That is what positive economics is. Positive economics deals with what is and what we have. The other type of economics is called normative statements. This deals with what we should receive instead of what is and deserved to some extent. It's our scarce resources that determine our allocation of resources and how we use our resources and time. This is where opportunity costs come in, giving up something to do something. A successful business or country never ignores opportunity costs. We must ensure that we have a comparative advantage instead of the absolute advantage. Our resources must be used to achieve maximum output. Comparative is met when we have fewer opportunity costs to make some certain products than the other person or entity.

My initial understanding was scarcity was oil potentially running out, but we have so much of it that you can always find more with techniques such as fracking. Now it's obvious to me, one of our most scarce resources is time. You cannot avoid the 8,760 hours in a year. I understand that people have unlimited wants but limited resources. Everything has a cost and we must make a choice as we don't have unlimited farms, factories workers, etc. scarcity forces choices and this ties in with opportunity cost, for every gun made, a theft from the hungry is made. The opportunity cost not being used to feed the poor, but to make guns. And I find it easy to understand no one can have everything choices must be made on benefits. If I'm going to school, imp giving up making cash, as I'm giving up money for an education, I value education more. Scarcity is also related to the invisible hand. As it's an achievement that leads free markets and capitalism through competition for scarce resources.

My understanding of the invisible hand is a person neither intends to promote public interest and does not know how much he is promoting it. Only intending on his own gain. Without being his intention a person can be lead by the invisible hand to do good for society by pursuing one's own self-interest. Going into equity and efficiency the invisible hand does ensure both equity and efficiency. People work in their selfish ways to maximize profit while also contributing to the economy as a whole. It can also be argued that as the invisible hand wants to ensure efficiency, it cannot guarantee efficiency, because it can fail to produce an efficient allocation of resources, which in turn lead to a market failure. It can also be argued that it can't guarantee equity because not everyone gets a fair price. The way I like to remember efficiency is with a real-life example, like a reduction in the number of workers needed to produce a particular good for a particular amount. Equity refers to the ownership interest in an asset, for example, if a person owns a house with a market value of $800,000 and owes $100,000 on the mortgage leaving a $700,000 equity in the home.

It can be predicted that if the price of beef increases - ceteris paribus-the quantity of beef demanded by buys will decrease. In other words, if the price of beef increases, then the quantity of beef increases, then the quantity of beef demanded will decrease because all things have to be equal. In-class lecture thought me all other things remaining the same. Economists use ceteris paribus to determine the effect of a factor when all other factors have been held the same and helps simplify the study and get a more refined data set.

Economists deal with many issues that pertain to assuring that both a countries domestic output is efficient and that there is an effective trade balance. This means that there are a balance and limit on the amount of imports. Also, this means home production must be able to meet export demands. There are many factors that affect the production of goods and their effect on shifting the production possibilities frontier. This involves evaluating every detail including knowing the products and any close substitutes and compliments. It also involves knowing how an action or other external force will affect demand. This is called price elasticity; Substitutes are products that can replace any given product or service. An example of this would be Coke and Pepsi. The presence of substitutes affects price elasticity because if there are other options, then any change to the price or quality of the product will cause a shift of the demand curve. O course, price is a huge reason why the demand for a product decreases or increases yet it doesn't shift the curve because of the price only. This price change will cause a domino effect that will end with the shifting of the demand curve because it will cause an increase or decrease in demand of the substitute good if the price change is either lower or higher respectively. This price change serves as a catalyst that will change people's desire to spend more money on a more expensive product and that will instead choose to buy the substitute good for cheaper or buy more of the desired product. The change in the price of actual products will not shift the demand curve yet the change of the price of substitutes will because it serves to change people's purchasing behavior. On the other hand, compliments serve to boost demand when there is a decrease in price. The use of complementary goods is dependent upon another product. An example of this would be hot dogs and buns. If the price of hotdogs decreases then, conversely, the demand for hot dog buns will increase because of this change in price. In this scenario, the decrease in price will cause a positive shift in the demand curve because of people's desire and willingness to buy more buns. This is an example of a demand shifter. There are a few other demand shifters. The shifters of the demand curve are changes in expectations, disposable income, price of substitute goods and complements, tastes and preferences, and population size and composition. Changes in income affect the demand curve because if income is lower then people tend to save any extra income instead of wasting it. Disposable income is minimized and spending is lower. This also causes people to see a perceived value of things and distinguishing between what is necessary and what is a relative luxury. The lower the income, the higher the saving and avoidance to spend. An example of this would be if someone needs to buy some medication and it is relatively expensive, that doesn't mean that someone won't buy the medication just because it is expensive. It is necessary. Other factors that contribute to spending and demand are having a price ceiling and price floor. Having a price ceiling is a limit on the price of the product this is a government-imposed idea that is meant to protect consumers from unfair pricing and other conditions that may be malicious or obscure. This affects demand because if there is a price ceiling there is a limit on profit on a unit-to-unit basis. The other factor is the price floor. This price floor was created to encourage competition and affect consumers' willingness to pay because sometimes this new price may be higher than the original price. This causes a negative impact on a product that has a less than wanted perceived value. Many factors contribute to economic prosperity and certainly do help assure that information is analyzed and implemented into an economic and business plan.

limejellyfish231

1. A reason why there is more competition in the restaurant industry than in the music streaming industry is that restaurants

A.unlike music streaming? companies, have to abide by government sanitation rules.

B.have to cater to a variety of consumer tastes while music streaming companies do not.

C.have more elastic demand for their product compared to music streaming companies.

D.unlike music streaming? companies, do not have significant economies of scale.

2. Why would a government use a patent to block entry to some markets if this hinders competition especially when governments generally promote? competition?

A.Patents are justified because they are an important means for creating network externalities.

B.Patents encourage firms to spend money on research necessary to create new products.

C.Politicians sometimes succumb to pressure from lobbyists to grant favors to businesses for political reasons.

D.Patents are an important source of government revenue.

3.Suppose we can divide all the goods produced by an economy into two? types: consumption goods and capital goods. Capital? goods, such as? machinery, equipment, and? computers, are goods used to produce other goods.

Suppose a technological advance occurs that affects the production of consumption goods but not capital goods.

If a technological advance occurs that affects the production of consumption goods but not capital?goods, then the production possibilities frontier will

A.remain unchanged.

B.shift outward along the consumption goods axis.

C. shift outward along the capital goods axis.

D. shift outward along both axes.

The new production possibilities frontier will indicate that with the technological? advance, more (CAPITAL GOODS /// CONSUMPTION GOODS /// OF BOTH GOODS) can be produced.

4. Market failure is best described as

A.All of the above.

B.when consumption occurs at low social benefit.

C.when the market fails to produce the efficient level of output.

D.when the market fails to produce deadweight loss.

E.when production occurs at high social cost.

The market will fail when which of the following? happen????(Check all that? apply.)

A.When property rights are incomplete.

B.When there is a market surplus.

C.When there is scarcity.

D.When it is difficult to enforce property rights.

E.When there is a market shortage

5.In which of the following market structures is price discrimination? possible?

??????a. perfect competition

??????b. monopoly

??????c. oligopoly

??????d. monopolistic competition

A.?b, c, and d only

B.?a, b,? c, and d

C.c and d only

D.b and c only

6. How do market economies ultimately determine what goods and services are? produced, how the goods and services will be? produced, and who will receive the goods and? services?

A.The government determines what goods and services are? produced, how to produce? them, and who will receive them.

B.Firms determine what goods and services are produced and how to produce? them, and markets determine who will receive them.

C.Consumers determine what goods and services are? produced, firms determine how to produce? them, and equity determines who will receive them.

D.Consumers determine what goods and services are? produced, firms determine how to produce? them, and markets determine who will receive them.

E.Firms determine what goods and services are? produced,technology determines how to produce? them, and consumers determine who will receive them.

7. For monopolistically competitive firms is it always likely in the? long-run to have? zero-economic profit?

Monopolistically competitive firms in the? long-run

A.may continue to earn profit by convincing consumers their products are differentconvincing consumers their products are different.

B.will not continue to earn profit because the cost of production will rise as new firms enter the market.

C.will not continue to earn profit because monopolistically competitive firms produce identical products.

D.will continue to earn profit due to barriers to new firms entering the market.

E.may continue to earn profit by instead beginning to produce a product identical to competitors.

8. In monopolistically competitive? markets, what is a factor under a? firm's control that determines whether it will be? successful?

A. Upper A firm's ability to differentiate its productA firm's ability to differentiate its product.

B.Consumer preferences.

C.Factors that affect all firms in a market.

D.Chance events.

E.Both a and b.

9. From the list? below, select the necessary condition in order to achieve successsful price discrimination.

A. The seller must possess market power.

B. Buyers must have identical inelastic demands.

C. Transactions costs must be zero.

D.The buyer must possess market power.??

10.Suppose Dell is currently selling 3,000,000 computers per year. However, managers at Dell are considering whether to increase production by 300,000 computers. One manager explains that after increasing production by this? amount, total profit would be? $100 million. Given this? information, should Dell increase production by 300,000 computers??

A.?Yes, because Dell would earn a profit.

B.Information about the additional cost incurred from producing 300,000additional computers is required to answer this question.

C.?No, because increasing production by 300,000 computers would decrease the price of computers.

D.Information about the additional revenue earned and the additional cost incurred from producing 300,000 additional computers is required to answer this question.

E. Information about the total revenue earned and the total cost incurred from producing 3,300,000 computers is required to answer this question.

11. The Majestic box office sells tickets for the same play at different? prices: a lower price to those who opt for the seats at the back of the theatre and a higher price for those who purchase seats in the? front, around the stage. Which of the following statements is? true?

A. This is an example of product differentiation not price discrimination.

B. The theatre practices first degree price discrimination by setting prices based on willingness to pay.

C. Charging two different prices is an effective way to avoid an excess demand for play? tickets; the higher price lowers quantity demanded to some extent.

D. Since the cost of producing the play does not change with the seating? configuration, this is evidence of price discrimination based on market segmentation.

ECON 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Demand Curve, Inverse Relation, Opportunity Cost

Document Summary

Get access

Related Documents

ECON 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Ceteris Paribus, Opportunity Cost, Demand Curve

ECON 202 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Opportunity Cost, Normal Good, Economic Equilibrium

ECON 202 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Sunk Costs, Midpoint Method, Deadweight Loss

Related Questions